RULE BY DECREE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 31, 7 February 1933, Page 7

RULE BY DECREE.

EMERGENCY EDICT.

POSITION OF PRUSSIA.

Hindenburg Gives Papen Power Over Premier. GOVERNMENT DISPLACED.' (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 11 a.m.) BERLIN, February 6. President Hindenburg has signed an emergency decree transferring to Herr von Papen, as Reich Commissioner of Prussia, all.the powers vested in Dr. Braun, Premier of Prussia. It is understood that von Papen will replace Dr. Braun on the Council of Three, assuring a majority for the dissolution of the Diet. (A motion for dissolution was defeated in the Diet last week.) The displacement of the Prussian Government also ensures that the Prussian elections will take. place simultaneously with those of the Reichstag on March 5, because the Supreme Court is unlikely to deal with Dr. Braun's appeal before then. The Council of Three later dissolved the Prussian Diet. The decree also restricts the liberty of the Press throughout the country, entailing suppression if they publish reports injurious to the Reich. This embraces foreign journals and magazines and covers a period of six months. It also empowers the disallowance of the collection of party funds and the closing of all premises, including restaurants and printing offices, suspected of fomenting violence. Almost every Communist newspaper in Germany is already suspended.

HITLER POLICY.

Disarmament on Equality Basis With Security. MILITIA MAY BE FORMED.

(Received 12.30 p.m.) BERLIN, February 6. It is authoritatively stated that the Hitler Government, like that of General Schleicher, will desire to co-operate in solving the general disarmament problem on the basis of equality and the same security for all nations. It would welcome world limitation of armaments, rendering unnecessary an increase in Gorman weapojis. An official stated that the Government proposed after the Disarmament Conference to adopt a militia which would absorb many of the unemployed and end the rivalry of political organisations. If the conference failed owing to the refusal to grant Germany equality, the Germans did not intend to allow their throats to be cut without making a defence.

'It is stated in a message published to-day that Herr Hitler is a Catholic. We are informed by Dr. Liaton, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, that Herr Hitler was baptised a Catholic, but left the Church some years ago. The Catholic bishops of Germany on several occasions have strongly condemned Hitler and his Nazi • programme on account of his exaggerated nationalism • and agitation against the Jews, and they have forbidden Catholics to associate actively with the movement.